


Infinity

by stirringofmysoul



Category: One Direction (Band), Shawn Mendes (Musician)
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, Mpreg
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-30
Updated: 2017-08-08
Packaged: 2018-11-21 06:47:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 8,809
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11352072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stirringofmysoul/pseuds/stirringofmysoul
Summary: How many nights does it take to count the stars?That's the time it would take to fix my heartWhen their lives went down two different paths Shawn never thought he'd see Niall again.  But when he returns to their hometown Shawn's whole world is turned upside down.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> AU: This story takes places in an alternate universe where Shawn and Niall grew up together in Canada. Niall is not/never was a member of One Direction. The boys' families have been altered for this story.
> 
> This story contains mature language, an m/m relationship, and mpreg.
> 
> I do not own Shawn Mendes or Niall Horan. All original characters are mine.
> 
> Enjoy!

Prologue

Shawn Mendes crawled back into his bed. Alice had finally fallen asleep. For the past hour he had been certain she’d never stop crying. 

Though his eyes were heavy he couldn’t quite get to sleep himself. It had only been three months, but he still wasn’t getting the hang of this fatherhood thing. 

Everyone told him it would get easier as time went on. The thing was, though, most fathers had nine months to prepare for sleepless nights…Shawn had only had a few minutes. There had been complications with Megan’s delivery and within minutes of Alice’s arrival his sister was gone. 

With no father in the picture the baby girl was an orphan. Without hesitation Shawn stepped into the role of uncle/father. His parents, of course, were willing to take care of her, but he knew this is what his sister would have wanted. 

Shawn’s mind was going a million miles an hour tonight. He found himself reminiscing about Megan. Trips they had taken growing up…summer days spent playing in the backyard…Christmas mornings full of wrapping paper and cinnamon rolls. And the deeper he went into the past the more he remembered other things…things that were long gone. 

People that were long gone. 

People like Niall Horan. 

Ever since Niall’s music career had taken off it was like Shawn couldn’t get away from him. He heard his voice on the radio…he saw him on magazine covers at the grocery store…he heard his laughter on late night talk shows. It was hard to get over someone who was always around. 

As much as Shawn didn’t want to admit it…he didn’t really want to get over him. 

The two had grown up together and their friendship turned into romance during high school. They dated all throughout college and when they graduated two years ago they had been ready to take on the world. And Niall did take on the world. He was discovered at an open mic night. Shawn was so proud of him he could have burst. Finally all of Niall’s dreams were going to come true. 

At first Shawn was able to travel with Niall...going to dingy clubs, bars, and high school auditoriums…anywhere that would let him play. But once he found a full time job that just wasn’t feasible. They tried to see each other as often as possible…which wasn’t very often. 

It was hard being left behind, but Shawn never said that out loud. He would have sounded like a jerk. What kind of boyfriend didn’t support his partner? 

It all came to a head one night when Niall told Shawn he’d stop. He’d give it all up. But Shawn wouldn’t hear of it. He was not going to be the reason he stopped pursuing his dream. 

That was the last night he saw him. 

Shawn didn’t have too long to grieve, though. Megan told him she was pregnant and his life was then consumed with taking care of his sister...and now her daughter. He hardly had time to even think about Niall anymore. 

Except for nights like this…when things were so quiet. Then he had all the time in the world. 

Chapter One 

Five years later… 

“Ali! Come on! We’re going to be late!” Shawn called as he hurried around the living room trying to clean up the tornado of toys that had hit last night. 

Alice had to be at before school care by 7:15 and he had to be at work by 7:30. It was now 7:03. They had two minutes to get out the door and into the car if they were going to make it on time. 

“I don’t hear feet, Alice!” Shawn said when his request was met with silence. 

He ran his fingers through his curls. He had two choices. He could wait for her and be late or he could go to her room and wrangle her…and probably still be late. Shawn counted to five and headed down the hallway. And there she was…a wild mess of brown hair sitting on the floor playing with her My Little Ponies. 

“Don’t worry…I’ll be homes soon,” Ali promised Twilight Sparkle (yes, Shawn knew all of their names). 

“Hey you,” Shawn said, leaning against the doorframe. 

“Hi, daddy,” she said sweetly, looking up at him with her big green eyes. 

“Did you hear me calling your name?” he asked her, trying to sound stern, but failing miserably. 

“Well, yesy, but I had to tell the ponies good bye,” Ali explained to him. “They miss me.” 

“I’m sure they do,” Shawn said and held out his hand for her. “But when it’s time to go it’s time to go, remember?” 

Ali nodded her head. She grabbed her Equestria Girls backpack (what else would it be?) as she got to her feet, giving her figurines one last wave before giving up her hand. 

It was 7:10 by the time they got in the car. 

Eh, they were hardly ever on time anyway. 

*** 

Shawn made it into the faculty parking lot at 7:30 on the dot. He had broken several traffic laws to accomplish this feat. Now if he ran to the school’s front office he would still technically be on time. 

“It’s 7:32,” Amanda Pratt, the secretary, greeted him, tucking her long dark hair behind her ear. 

Shawn reached for his time card, gasping for breath. “That’s almost on time,” he wheezed. 

Amanda batted the card from his hand. “I punched you in when I saw you sprinting across the parking lot,” she assured him. “Usain Bolt you are not.” 

“Thank you,” Shawn said gratefully. 

“Rough morning?” she asked him. 

“No different than usual,” Shawn said. “Thanks again…I owe you.” 

“I like donuts with sprinkles…just saying,” Amanda said with a chuckle before picking up the ringing telephone. “Pine Ridge Community High School,” she chirped. 

Shawn gave her a quick wave before exiting the office and heading to his classroom. First period would be starting in twenty minutes and he needed to go over his plans for the day. Trying to get freshmen excited about English wasn’t the easiest thing so he had to be on his A game. 

“Good morning, sunshine,” Cameron Pratt, Shawn’s classroom neighbor, and Amanda’s twin brother said. 

“Well, it is technically morning, but is it good?” Shawn pondered. 

“You’re so deep. My brain doesn’t think that way,” Cameron said with a laugh. 

“Maybe that’s why I teach English and you teach Computer Science,” Shawn joked. 

“I feel like that was offensive, but I’m really not offended,” Cameron replied with a shake of his head, messing up his sandy brown hair. He took a seat on one of the desks at the front of Shawn’s classroom. 

“I rest my case,” Shawn said as he dug through his bag for his notebook. 

“Are you coming over tomorrow night? You didn’t RSVP. Nick said it won’t be any fun without you,” Cameron said, referring to Nick Martin, his ad executive husband. 

Shawn snorted. “I highly doubt that’s true,” he replied. 

“You don’t think it won’t be fun without you or you don’t think Nick said that?” Cameron asked. 

“The former,” Shawn said, as he triumphantly located his lesson plans. He opened the notebook up and took a seat at his desk. 

“Well, regardless of what you think we want you there,” Cameron said to him. After years of trying to get pregnant Cameron was finally expecting and tomorrow night was the gender reveal party. 

“Cam…do you honestly think we wouldn’t be there?” Shawn asked him. Cameron was his mentor, (he had taken Shawn under his wing when he started teaching) not to mention his best friend. 

“Awesome,” Cameron said, clapping his hands together. “Nick is going to barbecue and for dessert we’re doing an ice cream sundae bar because I want one.” 

Shawn laughed. “I can’t think of a better reason than that,” he replied. “How exactly is the reveal going to work?” 

His blue eyes lit up. “Oh, well…at my last ultrasound the technician wrote down the baby’s sex on a slip of paper and put it in an envelope. Nick took the envelope to a bakery and they’re gonna bake a cake that’s pink or blue on the inside. So like when we cut into it we’ll know,” Cameron explained. 

“Wait, cake? I thought we were having ice cream,” Shawn said, mostly just to annoy him. 

Cameron looked at him like he had lost his mind. “You can have both…” he said very slowly. 

Shawn laughed. “I’m just giving you shit, man,” he said. “You’re interrupting my prep time.” 

“Fine!” Cameron said with fake exasperation as he slid off the desk and onto his feet. 

“See you tomorrow night,” Shawn said cheerfully. 

Cameron said good-bye by way of flipping him off as he exited the classroom. 

Shawn hadn’t gotten any work done, but he didn’t mind. This was an exciting time and he was happy for his friends. 

***

“And then I told him that her name was Fluttershy, but he still saids it wrong,” Alice said with a shake of her head. 

The pair was waiting at a table for two for their dinner order to be ready. Ali was recounting her day for Shawn in extreme detail. 

“I’m sure he’ll get the hang of it,” Shawn said. “It took me a long time to learn all the pony names.” 

Alice nodded her head. “Yeah, like forevers,” she agreed. 

“Mendes!” the girl behind the counter called out before Shawn had a chance to defend himself. 

Shawn got up to his feet to grab the pizza box, but Ali was faster. 

“That’s me!” she said and held out her hands for their dinner. 

“No, no…that’s too hot,” Shawn said. He thanked the cashier and held the pizza out of Ali’s reach. 

“Ugh, no fair…I wanna help,” Ali said with a sigh. 

“You can set up the plates and napkins when we get home,” he offered. 

“Okay,” she agreed, quickly placated. 

The twosome headed out of the restaurant. Shawn got her buckled into her seat and as he turned to close the door he saw a familiar car driving down the main drag. He felt a little tug at his heartstrings. It was Niall’s mother. 

In the years since Alice had been born Niall’s music career went from good to superstardom. Though he hadn’t spoken or seen Niall in person for over five years he still thought of him often (and bought all of his albums). 

Shawn shook his head as the car disappeared into the distance. The past was the past. No point in getting all emotional about it. 


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the kudos! They mean so much to me :)
> 
> All the same notes from Chapter One still apply.
> 
> Enjoy!

Chapter Two

“Was that good, Ali?” Caleb, Cameron’s brother, asked. The little girl has a mess of hot fudge all over her lips and chin. 

“Uh huh,” she said with an enthusiastic nod of her head. “Can I has more?” 

“That’s a daddy question,” Riley Winters, Caleb’s boyfriend, replied. 

“No, no…it’s an Uncle Caleb question…and he says yes,” Caleb said, scooping up a cheering Alice and taking her over to the sundae bar. 

“Sorry,” Riley apologized to Shawn, who just laughed. 

“It’s fine…it’s a party,” Shawn replied. 

It was a warm fall evening with just a hint of a breeze. The Pratts, Martins, and all their extended family and friends were gathered in Nick and Cam’s backyard. Nick had cooked up hot dogs and burgers while Cam’s mom had tended to all the salads and side dishes. Riley (who worked in his dad’s bakery/café) had been in charge of dessert. Besides the sundae bar and gender reveal cake there were brownies and cookies galore. 

Caleb and Ali returned with a monster looking sundae. “Do you need some help with that Ali?” Shawn asked her. 

She gave him a horrified look. “Daddy, you have your own dessert,” she replied. 

Shawn looked down at his empty dish. “I think I need a refill,” he said. 

He was about to stand up to make a return trip to the dessert table when Nick clapped his hands together. 

“Alright, it’s cake time!” he announced. Cam was standing next to him wielding a fairly ominously looking knife. 

“I’m on camera duty,” Caleb said, pulling out his iphone. 

“I better make sure Cam doesn’t cut his fingers off,” Riley said. 

“I can’t see,” Ali whined as everyone crowded around the table. 

Shawn scooped her up, resting her on his hip. She wasn’t as little as she used to be…it made him a bit sad. 

“Alright, on the count of three,” Amanda said. “One, two, three!” 

Nick and Cameron sliced into the cake and then slice again to finish cutting the piece. 

“What color is it???” Natalie, Nick’s sister, yelled out. 

“I think it’s yellow, Rob, Nick’s brother, joked. 

“Does yellow mean they’re hassing a pony?” Alice questioned. 

“It’s a girl!!!” Cameron exclaimed. Both he and Nick were beaming as they held up a slice of perfectly pink cake. 

The next few minutes were a commotion of cheers, tears, and hugs. 

“You’re gonna have to teach me the ropes,” Cameron said when it was Shawn’s turn to give him a snug. 

“I dunno…you’re kinda hopeless,” Shawn joked as he returned the squeeze. 

“I can helps you Uncle Cam,” Ali assured him. “I know about being a girl.” 

“Whew, thank goodness for you, honey,” Cameron said and kissed her forehead. 

“Congratulations, man…this is awesome,” Shawn said sincerely. He was getting a little teary thinking about the new baby. 

“Thanks,” Cameron said, a tad misty himself. 

The party went on well into the night. Between the bouncy house, the pool, and bean bag toss (and a few more cookies) Shawn didn’t think he’d ever get Ali to leave. 

But eventually she crashed. 

“This was great,” Shawn said, giving Nick a hug good bye. “I’m so happy for you guys.” 

“You’re gonna be the one baby sitting,” Nick teased him after they broke apart. “So you better be.” 

Shawn laughed. “That’s a gig I can handle,” he said. 

“Daddy, where’s my Pinkie Pie?” a very sleepy Ali asked from her car seat. 

“Did you bring her into the bounce house?” Shawn asked when he didn’t see the doll with Ali’s stuff. 

“I dunno,” she replied through a yawn. 

“I’ll be right back,” he said to both Ali and Nick before jogging towards the backyard. 

“Yeah, I guess it’s like a break or something? I dunno. There really weren’t a lot of details,” Natalie explained. 

“Huh…I can imagine it’s a pretty tough life…always being on the road. He deserves a break,” Rob replied. 

“He could be leaving the industry all together. His last album kinda bombed,” Natalie said. 

“Hey, shh guys,” Cameron said and the conversation suddenly grinded to a halt. 

“Umm, don’t stop on my account,” Shawn said, retrieving Pinkie Pie from underneath the picnic table. 

The three of them just sat there, shifting in their seats…the silence was awkward. 

“What were you talking about?” Shawn asked. 

A chorus of ‘nothing!’ and ‘no big deal!’ filled the air. 

“Huh, because that’s not suspicious…” Shawn said with a little laugh. 

“Niall,” Cameron finally said. 

Shawn paused for a beat. “Oh…okay, well…you don’t have to be weirdos about it,” he replied. 

“There was just this thing on Twitter. It said that he was going to be going on a hiatus…” Natalie explained. 

Shawn clutched Pinkie Pie a little closer to his chest. “Oh, I see…” he replied. 

“So we were just debating if he was quitting the business or…” Rob explained. 

Cam noticed Shawn cutting off the stuffed pony’s circulation and decided to intervene. “Like I said…nothing that concerns you, bud. Come on. I’ll walk you back to the car,” he said, rising to his feet. 

Shawn said good night to Rob and Natalie as he followed Cameron down the driveway. “You don’t think he’d come back here, do you?” Shawn whispered (because if he said it too loud that would make it real). 

“What? No way,” Cameron said quickly. “He hasn’t been back here in like years…why would he come back now?” 

“Yeah, I guess not,” he agreed, though clearly not convinced. 

“And even if he did, so what? You guys have both grown up…moved on,” Cameron said. 

Shawn might have grown up, but he hadn’t really moved on. He told himself he was too busy for a relationship, but the true was he hadn’t really wanted to pursue one. 

“Right,” Shawn agreed as they reached the car. 

“Plus who knows if the break thing is even true. It’s not like you can believe everything you read online, right?” Cameron said. 

Shawn handed Pinkie Pie back to Ali (who was asleep and didn’t even notice). “Totally,” he said. “Anyway, I’ll see you at school on Monday. Congratulations again.” 

After Shawn got Alice tucked in he found himself in a familiar way…lying in his bed staring at the ceiling, his mind too busy to let him sleep. 

There’s no way Niall would come home. 

Right? 


	3. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AU: This story takes places in an alternate universe where Shawn and Niall grew up together in Canada. Niall is not/never was a member of One Direction. The boys' families have been altered for this story.
> 
> This story contains mature language, an m/m relationship, and mpreg.
> 
> I do not own Shawn Mendes or Niall Horan. All original characters are mine.
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> Thank you for the kudos <3

Chapter Three

Niall, himself, confirmed the news on Entertainment Tonight. The world's next John Mayer, according Nancy O'Dell, was going to be taking a step back from the public eye. He wasn't leaving the industry...just taking a break for the next year. 

***

The school year was in full swing. Besides his own work...Alice had schoolwork and activities...plus Cam's baby shower was fast approaching. As the weeks passed he was too busy to think about all the 'what ifs' surrounding Niall's possible return. He had his own life to live. 

But the universe has a way of doing its own thing when you least expect it. 

“Pleaaaaaaaaaaase,” Alice said as Shawn pushed the grocery cart down the aisle. 

“Ali, you already picked out a cupcake. I said one treat,” Shawn reminded her. 

“But I didn’t sees the cookies. I didn’t know!” she defended herself. 

“One treat,” Shawn said, holding up his index finger. “One means one.” 

Shawn was out grocery shopping with his mother. Alice was usually pretty good in the store…today was proving to be an exception. 

“Dadddddddddddy. I didn’t knooooooooow,” Alice whimpered, her lip quivering as she spoke. 

“Ali, come on…you already have dessert. No more. You know the rules,” Shawn said to her as he grabbed a loaf of bread off the shelf. 

Tears started dripping down her cheeks as her face turned red. “But I didn’t…” she stammered. 

Shawn did not have the energy to deal with this right now. “You’re going into time out when we get home. And no ponies tonight,” he added for good measure. 

This elicited a huge sob from the tiny girl. “No faaaaaaaaaair!” she whined. 

“Alice, you have to remember…” Shawn started to say before he was cut off. 

“Whoa, whoa…Ali…what’s with the face?” Shawn’s mother asked, rejoining them. 

“Grandmaaaaaaaaa,” Alice whimpered and reached for her. 

“Come on, baby…let’s take a little walk. Daddy will meet us at the car,” his mother said as she scooped Ali up and headed out of the store. 

Shawn rubbed his face and continued on with the task at hand. He pushed the cart forward and accidently knocked into another customer. 

“Shit, sorry,” he apologized. 

“Shawn? Hi,” Niall said. He was standing at the end of the aisle with a carton of milk in his hands. 

Shawn’s heart stopped and everything went fuzzy around the edges…only Niall’s face was in sharp focus. 

His hair was darker now. Gone were the bleach blonde spikes of his youth. His eyes were as gorgeous as ever. 

“Hi…” Niall repeated. His eyes now searching for any kind of reaction from his ex. “I was going to call you…”

“I…umm…” Shawn stammered before quickly bolting for the check out. 

***

Shawn refused to leave the house until he absolutely had to on Monday morning. If he was inside Niall couldn’t see him. And he wouldn’t have to talk to him. Or deal with his feelings. Denial was lovely this time of year. 

"Can we go now?" Cameron asked. He was sitting in the front and center desk in Shawn's classroom like a straight A student...with a baby bump (so maybe a little slutty). 

School was over for the day and Shawn was grading pop quizzes. He was driving Cam home today and his friend seemed a little impatient. He looked up from the stack of papers in front of him. "Does it look like I'm done here?" he asked. 

"I'm bored," Cam replied. 

"Can't you work on your own grading?" Shawn asked. 

"I teach kids how to use Microsoft Word...how can I grade them?" he replied. 

Shawn sighed. The pile wasn't getting any smaller...no matter how many quizzes he corrected. "Okay, fine," he agreed. He could just finish after Alice went to bed. 

"Yay," Cameron said as he got to his feet, a little slower than usual. 

"Are you feeling okay?" Shawn asked him as they made their way towards the exit. 

"Mostly just uncomfortable," Cameron explained. "Not like sick or anything," he clarified. 

"Yeah, Megan always said she was never quite herself," Shawn replied. 

"Megan had a way with words. I just feel like a moose. Not that it seems to turn Nick off," Cameron said with a snicker. 

"I didn't need to know that," Shawn said, making a face. 

"I'm gonna go the bathroom before we go," Cameron said, ducking into the boys' room. 

Shawn leaned against the Student Council bulletin board while he waited. He hadn’t told Cameron about what happened at the grocery store. He didn’t even know how to. He could barely deal with it himself. Seeing Niall again after all this time was a lot to handle. 

“All right, all set. Hopefully I’ll make it home,” Cameron said as he emerged from the bathroom. 

“Niall’s home,” Shawn blurted out. 

Cameron looked at him and blinked a few times. “Pardon?” he asked. 

“I saw him at the grocery store. Well, he saw me. He said hi. And I just stared at him. And then I ran,” he said, not pausing to take a breath. 

“Shawn, breathe…” Cameron said, resting his hands on his shoulders. 

Shawn nodded, taking deep breaths to match Cam’s steady ones. “What am I going to do?” he asked him. 

“You don’t have to do anything,” Cameron said to him. “There’s no law that says you have to see him again.” 

“It’s just…probably going to be hard to avoid him,” Shawn said. Their hometown was very small. 

Cameron slung his arm around his neck. “Come on…we’ll go get Ali and then you guys can stay for dinner. Nick will know what to do,” he reasoned. 

“Yeah, Nick’s way smarter than you,” Shawn agreed. 

“Hey! I didn’t say that,” Cameron said, crinkling up his nose. 

***

Shawn did feel a lot better after spending the evening with Nick and Cam. Nick told him to just take things as they came. It was easy for him to be zen about it, but nonetheless it was still good advice. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AU: This story takes places in an alternate universe where Shawn and Niall grew up together in Canada. Niall is not/never was a member of One Direction. The boys' families have been altered for this story.
> 
> This story contains mature language, an m/m relationship, and mpreg.
> 
> I do not own Shawn Mendes or Niall Horan. All original characters are mine.
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> Thank you for reading <3

Chapter Four

Shawn was up to his ears in Beowulf essays and had little time to do much else except work and take care of Ali. On Friday night, though, he was recruited to help make party favors for Cam’s shower with Pratts. He was getting Ali ready when the doorbell rang. 

Shawn made a face. He told Riley he didn’t need a ride. ““Ali…why don’t you go pack your doll bag?” 

Ali nodded and bounced up the stairs. Shawn pulled the door open. “Ri, I told you…” he started to say. 

“Hi,” Niall said from his spot on the porch. “I hope it’s okay that I stopped by. Your mom gave me your address. I should have realized you didn’t live with your folks anymore.” 

Seeing Niall in the grocery store had been weird. Seeing him in his home was even weirder. 

PS- His mother was a traitor. 

“You’re here…” Shawn said. 

“Yeah, I’m here,” Niall said. “You just kind of left the store…”

“Sorry…umm about that,” Shawn said. “So…you’re home for a while?” 

Niall nodded. “Yeah, after five years of going non-stop I needed a break,” he said to him. “And my last album…”

“…was great,” Shawn said quickly…maybe a little too quickly. 

The corners of Niall’s lips perked up. “Oh, yeah? You bought it?” he said. 

“I did. I have umm all your albums,” he admitted. “Congratulations on everything.” 

“Thank you,” Niall said. 

Shawn’s phone rang. It was Cam. Probably wondering where he was. 

“You’re busy. I really should have called,” Niall said to him. 

“It’s just my best friend is having a baby and we’re getting shower stuff ready…” Shawn explained. 

“Maybe we could meet up for coffee or something?” Niall suggested. “I can give you my number.” 

“That would be great,” Shawn said, surprised how easily the words were coming out of his mouth. 

“Awesome,” Niall said with a grin. 

“Just text me…my number’s still the same,” Shawn told him. His cell rang again. “Sorry…”

“It’s fine,” Niall assured him. “I’ll see you around, yeah?” 

“Yeah,” Shawn confirmed. He heard Alice walking down the stairs. “I really need to go.” 

“Of course. Night, Shawn,” he said and headed down the porch and to his car. 

Shawn closed the door and leaned against it. His cell buzzed. It was Niall’s text. 

He couldn’t help but notice his heart was buzzing too. 

***

“It’s a sign,” Amanda insisted. 

Cameron, Nick, Amanda, Caleb, and Riley were all gathered around the kitchen table making paper mache baby booties centerpieces. 

“It’s more than a sign,” Cameron said. “I mean…he showed up at his house.” 

“Well, do you want to get back together even?” Caleb asked. 

“Whoa, whoa…I said I’d have coffee with him, not marry him,” Shawn said. 

“That’s a legitimate question. Are you interested in being his friend or more than that?” Cameron asked. 

“It’s been a long time. Neither one of us is the same person,” Shawn reasoned. “We couldn’t just pick up where we left off.” 

“I think you need to do this cautiously,” Riley advised. “You have Ali to think of too. You don’t want to introduce her to someone that will just up and leave.” 

Shawn opened his mouth to respond, but Nick spoke up first, “I think we all need to back off and let Shawn figure this out on his own.” 

“Thank you, Nick,” Shawn said while Cameron, Caleb and Amanda booed his response. “Hey, my life isn’t for your entertainment,” he said with a laugh. 

“Did you at least text him back yet?” Amanda asked. 

“What did he text you?” Caleb asked and reached for Shawn’s phone. “Hmm…just his number and an emoji.” 

“Which emoji?” Cameron demanded, reaching for the phone. 

“You guys are hopeless,” Nick said. 

“Just a smiley face,” Cameron said, clearly disappointed. 

“What did you want it to be?” Riley asked. 

“Eggplant,” Caleb said with a snicker. 

“Okay, okay…” Shawn said and grabbed his phone back. “How do you suggest I reply?” 

“Dick…” Caleb started to say as Riley put his hand over his mouth. 

“Why don’t you just say you’d like to meet him Saturday morning at The Daily Grind?” Nick said. 

Shawn nodded his head. “Okay, yeah…I can do this. It’s totally fine,” he said. With shaky fingers he typed out a reply. He set the phone down. That wasn’t so bad. 

The phone buzzed two seconds later and everyone screamed. 

“That was so fast!” Amanda said. “He was waiting by the phone.” 

“He’s probably so happy right now,” Cameron said with a smile. 

His heartbeat picked up the pace as he looked at the screen. “It’s my mom,” Shawn replied. 

A collective groan rang out in the room. 

As the evening wore on there was no reply message. Shawn felt like an idiot. As cool as he was trying to play it he wanted to see Niall again…a lot. 

“I know we were teasing you earlier, but I really want this to work out the way you want it to, bud,” Cameron said to him. Everyone else had gone home and Shawn was helping clean up. 

“That’s the thing…” Shawn said. “I don’t even know what I want…besides wanting to see him again.” 

“Then that’s where you start. One meeting and go from there,” Cameron said. 

And just like that his phone buzzed. 

“It’s him,” Shawn whispered. 

“Read it!” Cameron exclaimed. 

“Sounds good. See you then,” Shawn said. He looked up at Cam and smiled. 

“You’re so cute,” Caleb said with a laugh. 

“Who’s cute?” Nick asked, walking into the kitchen. 

“Our boy has a date,” Caleb said, practically beaming. 

“It’s just coffee,” Shawn insisted, but he was feeling pretty glowy too. 

“Just drop Ali off here…we’ll take care of her on Saturday,” Nick assured him. 

“Thanks,” Shawn said. “God, I haven’t been on a date in forever.” 

“I thought it wasn’t a date,” Caleb said, eyebrow quirking up. 

“Oh, shut up,” Shawn said and gave him a playful punch in the arm. 


	5. Chapter Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AU: This story takes places in an alternate universe where Shawn and Niall grew up together in Canada. Niall is not/never was a member of One Direction. The boys' families have been altered for this story.
> 
> This story contains mature language, an m/m relationship, and mpreg.
> 
> I do not own Shawn Mendes or Niall Horan. All original characters are mine.
> 
> Enjoy!

Chapter Five

Shawn couldn’t remember the last time he had been this nervous. It was reminiscent of his first date with Niall. They had gone to see a movie and then grabbed burgers at the diner. It wasn’t really anything out of the ordinary for them, but it was so much more that night. Everything seemed a little bit brighter. 

After dropping Ali off with Nick and Cameron he headed to The Daily Grind. The local coffeeshop (owned by Riley’s dad) was the hotspot in town for yoga moms, teenagers, and awkward first dates. 

Shawn saw Niall sitting at a table in the back. He wondered if any fangirls would recognize him. Shawn only thought of him as Niall, but to everyone else he was NIALL. It was hard to wrap his head around that fact. 

Niall waved a little when he saw Shawn walk inside. Shawn waved back as he made his way back to the table. 

“Hi,” Niall said. 

“Hi,” Shawn replied. 

Silence. 

“Umm…do you want to sit down?” Niall asked. 

“Oh, of course,” Shawn said and pulled out a chair. He hadn’t realized he was still standing. “Duh.” 

“This is a blast from the past, huh?” Niall said, taking a sip of his coffee. 

“We wasted many any evening here,” Shawn agreed. 

“I ordered for you…I think I got it right…unless your order changed,” Niall said, gesturing to a second mug on the table. 

Shawn took a sip. “It’s perfect,” he said to him. 

“Alright, so fill me in…what’s been going on,” Niall said. 

Shawn laughed. “Me? You’re the one who’s been leading the high life,” he said. 

“It’s not that interesting,” Niall said. 

“Well, okay…I’m still working at the high school,” he said. “It’s challenging but I like it there. I made a nice little group of friends.” 

“Yeah, you mentioned your friend was having a baby,” Niall said. 

He nodded yes. “Cameron. He and his husband are expecting. Cameron was like my mentor when I first started working,” he explained. “Now I’m close with his family…and his husband. They’re all really nice.” 

“Hopefully I’ll get to meet them,” Niall said to him. 

“Um, yeah..I mean…how long are you sticking around?” Shawn asked. 

“Technically the hiatus is supposed to be a year, but…I’m not really sure,” he said. 

“I can’t imagine you giving it all up now,” Shawn said. 

“I love what I do. It’s everything I’ve always wanted, but some of the prices have been so high. I really just need to step back for a while,” Niall explained. 

“Well, for as long as you’re here…I’m glad you’re here,” Shawn said. 

“Really?” he asked. “I wasn’t sure how welcome I’d be. After how we left things…”

“It was the right thing to do,” Shawn said. “And besides we’re both adults now. That was a long time ago. Things are different now.” 

“Speaking of umm different. I’m sorry about your sister,” Niall said softly. 

Shawn’s face fell a little. “Oh, thank you,” he said. 

“My mom told me. I can’t imagine how awful that was…” Niall said. 

“Yeah, it was…a very low point, but…Megan wouldn’t have wanted me to just shut down, you know?” Shawn said. 

“I’m sure she’s very proud of you. I know I am,” Niall said. 

“Thanks,” he said again. “Should we get something to eat?” 

Niall nodded. “Perfect,” he agreed. 

The two talked for the next few hours and it was like they never missed a beat. They made plans to meet up again. Shawn floated out of the café on cloud nine. 

***

“So…is your next meet up an actual date?” Cameron asked when Shawn came to pick up Ali. 

“Hi, Cameron…it’s nice to see you too,” Shawn said with a snort. 

“Yeah, yeah…hi,” he said with a wave of his hand. “Your text said there was another date.” 

Shawn took a seat at the kitchen table. “I think it’s a date?” he said. “It felt like a date today. It was like we were never apart…”

Cameron smiled. “That’s great…I mean, if that’s what you want,” he added. 

“I think it’s way too soon to think about that,” Shawn said. “I didn’t even say anything about Ali to him.” 

“Yeah, that might be more of a third date discussion,” Cameron agreed. 

***

Shawn didn’t get around to saying anything on the second date…or the third…or the fourth. 

“For someone who watches golf 24/7 you’re really bad at this,” Shawn said as Niall lined up his shot. 

The two were at the local mini golf/arcade for date number five. 

“Oh, you get one hole in one and now you’re the expert, huh?” Niall teased. 

“I’m just saying…I’m not the one who had their ball go into the water,” Shawn said with a smile. 

“Why don’t you get over here and help me then?” Niall said. 

Shawn felt butterflies in his stomach as he stood behind him and helped him line up his shot. 

“Like this, huh?” Niall said. 

“Uh huh…” Shawn murmured. “Just like this.” 

He really wished it could be just like this forever.


	6. Chapter Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AU: This story takes places in an alternate universe where Shawn and Niall grew up together in Canada. Niall is not/never was a member of One Direction. The boys' families have been altered for this story.
> 
> This story contains mature language, an m/m relationship, and mpreg.
> 
> I do not own Shawn Mendes or Niall Horan. All original characters are mine.
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> *WARNING* This chapter is rated M! It is very explicit! You have been warned!

Chapter Six

“But it’s so cute,” Cameron insisted, holding up a tiny little onesie against his bump. 

“Babe, you’ve said that about…everything in the store,” Nick said. “And we already scanned like fifteen of them.” 

“Shawn said babies spit up and need to be changed like a million times a day,” Cameron pointed it out. “Hit it, Ali,” he said to the little girl. She held up the scanner and buzzed it onto the registry. 

Shawn and Ali were accompanying the boys as they added things to their baby registry. He asked why it was necessary for him to come along and Nick explained he was the only one who had a kid. Therefore he was their expert by default. Shawn could not argue with that point. 

“See if you can have someone buy you a ton of diapers,” he said to the pair. 

“Diapers aren’t fun,” Cameron replied with a pout. 

“Diapers are expensive,” Shawn said. 

“Good point,” Nick agreed and had Ali scan a box for him. 

“This is fun!” Ali said happily. “Daddy, I want a baby.” 

Shawn snorted a laugh. “You can have a baby when you’re like 40,” he said. 

“That’s SO old!” Ali said, making a face. 

Shawn laughed. “How about a pony toy instead?” he suggested. 

“Ooo yes, please,” Ali said with a big smile. 

“I’ll take her to pick something about,” Cameron offered. Ali gave up her scanner to Nick and took Cam’s hand. 

“Finally…we can buy some practical things,” Nick joked as he tossed the scanner back and forth between his hands. 

“Cameron’s going to be such a good dad,” Shawn said as he walked Cameron and Ali walk towards the toy aisle. 

Nick beamed. “He really is. He’s so excited. It’s amazing. He’s wanted a family for so long. We both have,” he said. 

“Hey, I know you,” Niall said as he tapped Shawn on the shoulder. 

“Oh, hey,” Shawn said with a smile. “What’s with you and lurking behind aisles?” 

“It’s all part of the media training they give you. You always have to be on the down low,” Niall explained. 

“Ah, makes sense,” Shawn said. “Oh, Niall this is my friend, Nick. Nick, Niall.” 

“Nice to meet you,” Nick said and the boys exchanged handshakes. 

“Same,” Niall said. “I only wanted to say hi. We’re still on for Friday, right?” 

Shawn nodded his head. “Yes, for sure. See you on Friday,” he said. 

“Wow, he’s even cuter in person,” Nick said as Niall walked away. “And wow is your face red.” 

“I think I’m being an idiot,” Shawn admitted to him. 

“What do you mean?” Nick asked. 

“There’s no way this can end well. Yeah, we’ve gone on dates over the past few weeks. And yeah, we get along. And yeah…I think we both want to try something again, but in a year he’s back on the road and I’m still here. Nothing would change. It’s the same as it was six years ago,” Shawn said. 

“I’m going to give you some unsolicited advice,” Nick said to him. 

“What’s that?” he asked. 

“You think way too much. Why can’t you just enjoy this?” Nick asked. 

“I don’t think it’s that simple,” Shawn said. 

“Lookit!” Ali said, running back towards them with a huge MLP castle. 

“Whoa, whoa…I didn’t say a castle. I said a pony,” Shawn said with a laugh. 

“But daddy, it’s soooo cool,” Ali said with a smile. 

“I’m such a sucker,” Shawn said with a sigh. 

***

“What was it like?” Shawn asked. “Being on the road and stuff.” 

It was Friday night and the boys were relaxing on the couch. They had just finished a home cooked meal Shawn had made. 

“Tiring,” Niall admitted with a laugh. “But don’t get me wrong. I love it. I love creating song and music. There’s nothing more incredible than playing in front of a crowd and hearing them sing your lyrics back to you.” 

“I feel like there’s a but here…” Shawn said to him. 

Niall’s eyes lost a little bit of their light. “It’s hard, you know? You don’t really have a place to call home,” he said. “It’s hard to even leave the hotel without getting recognized. I’ve traveled all over the world, but really the only thing I’ve seen in different countries is their room service menus. God, I sound so ungrateful…”

Shawn rested his hand on top of his. “I don’t think so. Any job…no matter how much you love it has it’s downsides,” he said. 

Niall looked at their hands and then up at him. “Yeah, I guess,” he said softly. “I get lonely too.” 

“I know the feeling,” Shawn said softly, holding his gaze. 

“When I left that day…I didn’t think my heart was ever going to be whole again,” Niall whispered. 

Shawn swallowed hard. “I didn’t know what else to do. I didn’t want to let you go, but I couldn’t let you stay behind,” he said softly. 

“I think we could have had a nice life…” Niall started to say. 

“I don’t think we should play what ifs,” Shawn cut him off. 

Niall nodded his head. “I guess it is what it is,” he replied. 

“We were young,” Shawn reasoned. 

“But…but we’re not anymore. We could…” Niall trailed off. 

Niall shifted so he was halfway on his lap. Shawn wasn’t expecting that and almost dropped him. Getting their movements in sync was proving to be awkward. 

His arms wrapped around his waist as Niall finally settled comfortably in his lap. “Shawn…” he said softly. 

Shawn’s hand moved from his back and up his side, slowly inching his way under the fabric of his shirt. Niall sighed softly and pressed his lips against his again. This time he parted them, trying to grant his tongue access. Shawn’s hands pushed Niall’s shirt up and over his head when they took a breath. 

“Oh,” Shawn groaned as Niall’s tongue met his inside his warm and wet mouth. He slowly started to lean Niall back against the arm of the couch. 

After they came up for a breath Niall stretched his arms upward and pulled away Shawn’s shirt, unceremoniously dropping it onto the floor. 

“You’re gorgeous,” Niall murmured. His eyes looked up to meet his again. 

“Is it okay if I…” Shawn trailed off, his gaze now resting on his chest. 

Niall bit on her lip. “Yes…” he replied. 

Shawn pressed a gentle kiss in the middle of his chest then rested his weight on top of him. His lips found his again and his palm covered his chest, slowly exploring as they kissed. 

Niall’s body instinctively arched up towards his touch and a few expletives slipped from his throat. Niall grasped the hair on the back of his neck and drew him closer. 

“Is this okay?” Shawn murmured, sucking lightly on his lower lip. 

Niall whimpered a reply, “Yes…” he said. “Are you…okay?” he asked him. His erection was pretty obvious against his leg. 

“Uh huh,” Shawn confirmed. He was aching for some kind of friction, but he didn’t want to go there yet. 

“Let me…” Niall murmured and rested his free hand on the zipper on his jeans. He lowered the zipper and pushed the denim and boxers lower in one swoop. His fingers finally found him. He grasped him firmly in his palm. He was hard to the touch. 

“Fuck,” Shawn cried when he felt his hand. “We should go…to my room.” 

They managed to get up to their feet and somehow made it to Shawn’s room. 

“You didn’t make your bed,” Niall pointed out as Shawn laid him on the silky sheets. 

“Saves us some time,” he teased him. Once Niall was settled on the mattress he kicked off the clothes that were pooling at his feet and gently tugged away the rest of Niall’s. Once they were both rid of their clothes Shawn crawled on top of him and straddled his waist. He linked their fingers together and squeezed his hands gently. “Are you sure?” 

“I’m sure,” he said softly. 

Shawn pressed a light kiss to his lips and then fumbled in the bedside table for a condom. After he took care of that he rolled back on top of him. “Let me know if I’m hurting you,” he said. 

“Okay,” Niall whispered. 

Shawn wet his finger and slowly began t open him up. Niall gasped softly, but slowly started to relax as his finger moved. He closed her eyes and tipped his head back, a low purr escaped from deep within his throat. 

Shawn only grew more aroused between the feeling of him around his fingers and the sounds Niall was making because of him. He carefully pulled out of him and gave him a deep kiss as he finally fit himself inside of him. 

Niall wrapped his arms around him tightly. He bit rather hard on his shoulder as he adjusted to him. “Oh my god…” Niall cried softly. 

“Do you want me to slow down?” Shawn asked. 

“No, no…just…I need a second,” Niall murmured. Once he was fully inside he relaxed his body and then eventually wrapped his legs around his waist as the pain dulled. “Okay,” he said. 

Shawn kissed his lips gently and then pressed his forehead to his as he moved against him. “Niall, open your eyes,” he whispered. 

Slowly Niall blinked his eyes open to look up at him. He nuzzled his nose gently against his. “Hi beautiful,” he whispered. 

“Oh…” Niall groaned. 

“There you go, sweetheart…there you go…” he whispered. The two moved with a slow and steady rhythm. 

They started to kiss again, the pressure between them finally hitting its peak. Shawn moaned into his mouth as he lost control and let himself go. 

“I’m so…close…” Niall panted in labored breaths. 

“I got you…I got you…” Shawn assured him and helped him work towards his own release which he met with a soft cry of his name. 

“So are you my boyfriend now?” Niall teased after they had both caught their breaths. 

“Shut up,” Shawn said through a laugh.


	7. Chapter Seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AU: This story takes places in an alternate universe where Shawn and Niall grew up together in Canada. Niall is not/never was a member of One Direction. The boys' families have been altered for this story.
> 
> This story contains mature language, an m/m relationship, and mpreg.
> 
> I do not own Shawn Mendes or Niall Horan. All original characters are mine.
> 
> Enjoy!

Chapter Seven

Shawn woke up in a great mood. He leaned over to kiss Niall good morning, but the bed was empty beside him. 

He frowned. Last night had happened, right? 

Shawn slipped out of bed and walked towards the living room. Maybe Niall was watching tv? 

“Hi, daddy!” Ali said with a smile. 

“Honey…what are you doing here?” Shawn asked her. 

“I’m sorry,” Nick apologized. “I tried to call you to tell you I had to bring her back earlier.” 

“It’s okay,” Shawn said. “Umm have you seen Niall?” 

“Um, yeah…he answered the door and then I had to explain who she was…and I’m sorry…I thought you had told him,” Nick said apologetically. 

“Oh…did he leave?” Shawn asked nervously. 

“Yeah…I’m really really sorry,” Nick said to him. 

“It’s not your fault. I should have told him about her a long time ago. I just wasn’t sure if he was sticking around. I’ll text him,” Shawn assured him. 

“I really have to go. But I’m sorry,” Nick said again as he headed back to his car. 

After Shawn got Ali set up with breakfast he tried calling Niall…texting him. No response. 

Oh boy. 

***

Days passed and there was no word from Niall. Shawn tried calling and texting several more times, but to no avail. 

At first he thought it was because he didn’t tell him about Ali. Then he started to wonder if maybe he thought there was something going on between him and Nick. Or maybe the sex had been bad. 

Needless to say Shawn was a wreck. 

***

Shawn groaned. He usually dominated party games…especially ones involving pop culture but his heart just wasn’t in it today. Today being Cam’s baby shower. 

“3 right?” Caleb said in disbelief. “Are you feeling okay, dude? I figured you knew which baby went with which celebrity parents.” 

“Just a little off my game, I guess…” Shawn said. 

The reason for his current mood was due to the radio silence from one brown haired boy. 

“Daddy, daddy…” Ali said. “Will you be my partner for da game?” 

“Sure, sweetie,” Shawn said as he got up off the couch. “What are we doing?” 

There was a row of diapers on the table…all stained with a chocolate candy bar. 

“You has to smell and guess the candy? Isn’t that funny?” Ali said, laughing so hard it was difficult to understand her. 

How could Niall be so upset about someone at cute as Ali being a part of Shawn’s life? Granted he hadn’t told him he was a father and yeah…okay, he had a bit of a reason to be upset. 

“That’s so funny,” Shawn agreed with a smile. Even if he didn’t have another chance with Niall he still had a pretty good life. 

“Still no word?” Cameron whispered when he saw Shawn checking his phone while everyone was mingling. 

“Huh? Oh, sorry,” he said and shoved his phone in his pocket. 

“Don’t be sorry,” Cameron said. “I know it’s on your mind.” 

“But today is about you,” Shawn pointed out. “And Nick and baby girl.” “Why don’t you go over to see him? He can’t ignore you if you’re right there,” Cameron pointed out. 

“Babe, we’re gonna do cake,” Nick called. 

“Just go…enjoy your day…stop worrying about me,” Shawn insisted. 

“I’m always gonna worry about you,” Cameron said. 

“Well, worry about me a little less,” Shawn said and gave him a gentle push on his ass towards the door. 


	8. Chapter Eight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AU: This story takes places in an alternate universe where Shawn and Niall grew up together in Canada. Niall is not/never was a member of One Direction. The boys' families have been altered for this story.
> 
> This story contains mature language, an m/m relationship, and mpreg.
> 
> I do not own Shawn Mendes or Niall Horan. All original characters are mine.
> 
> Enjoy!

Chapter Eight

The next day Shawn took Cam’s advice and went to see Niall face to face the next day.

“What are you doing here?” Niall asked him when he opened the door. 

“I didn’t know how else to get a hold of you,” Shawn said. “You haven’t been answering my messages.” 

“Yeah, well…I’ve had a lot to think about,” Niall said, crossing his arms over his chest. 

“Think about?” Shawn asked him. 

“I saw her, Shawn. I saw her,” Niall said. 

“Yeah, Nick told me…I was going to tell you, but…” Shawn started to say. 

“Tell me?? Tell me when? You already waited what…five years?” Niall snapped. 

Shawn was taken aback by his tone. “We weren’t speaking back then…” he said. 

“You didn’t think I deserved to know about my own daughter?” Niall exclaimed. 

Shawn looked at him in confusion. “Your own daughter? What?” he said. 

“I missed her whole life! How could you not tell me?” he demanded. 

“She’s not your daughter,” Shawn replied. 

“What? Of course she is…the timing…unless you were screwing around on me before we broke up,” Niall said to him. 

“Niall…Ali’s not my daughter,” Shawn explained to him. 

“What?” Niall asked. 

“Megan…she’s Megan’s daughter. Ali’s my niece. I’m raising her,” Shawn said. 

“But…” Niall started to say and then rubbed his face. “She’s your niece.” 

“You thought I had a baby and didn’t tell you?” Shawn asked, totally horrified. “How could you think…”

“I’m sorry. God, I’m so sorry!” Niall apologized to him. 

“That’s why you left when Nick... Oh, god…Niall!” Shawn exclaimed. 

“It was just…I saw her and the timing and you didn’t tell me and I’m so sorry,” Niall said to him. 

“You honestly thought that I wouldn’t tell you if we had a baby together!” Shawn exclaimed. 

“Shawn, I…I’m sorry,” Niall stammered. 

“Sorry? You’re sorry? Sorry doesn’t mean much right now,” Shawn snapped. “I gotta get out of here.” He turned to leave. 

“Wait!” Niall called. “I just thought…”

“No! That’s the thing…you didn’t think. You just assumed I was being a creep!” Shawn exclaimed. 

“I didn’t think that!” Niall said. 

“I don’t want to talk to you anymore!” Shawn shouted as he climbed into his car and peeled out of the driveway. 

***

It took Shawn a talk with Nick and one of Cam’s specially made cocktails to calm down. 

“It was an honest mistake,” Nick reasoned. 

Cam wrapped his arm around Shawn. “He insulted his character,” he replied. 

“Okay, he didn’t go about it in the best way…” Nick started to say. 

“Um, you guys…I’m sitting right here,” Shawn said. 

“Sorry,” they apologized…practically in unison. 

Shawn chuckled. “Oh, you guys are so cute. I want that…” he said with a pout. 

“What do you mean, bud?” Cameron asked. 

“I’ve always said I was too focused on Ali to be in a relationship…which is true, but…I never waited anyone else because I’ve always wanted Niall…” Shawn said softly. 

“Oh…” Cameron started to say, but then he flinched a little. 

“Oh?” Nick asked. 

“Umm…” Cameron said. 

“What’s wrong?” Shawn asked. 

“I think…it’s time…” Cameron said. 

“Time?” Nick asked. 

“Baby time!” Cameron exclaimed. 

Somehow the trio managed to make it to the hospital in one piece and a few hours later Ava Karen Pratt Martin was born. 

“She’s so pretty…” Shawn said softly when he got his chance to hold her. “Can I keep her?” 

Cameron laughed. “Only until she sleeps through the night,” he joked. 

Shawn handed her back to Nick and watched as he sat down on the bed next to Cam, their baby girl between then. 

It was such a nice moment. It made his heart ache. Maybe he had been too harsh with Niall. 

***

“You’re here…” Niall said as he opened the door and found Shawn standing on the porch. 

“Cam had the baby. A little girl named Ava,” Shawn said. 

Niall smiled. “That’s great. Tell them congratulations for me,” he said. 

“I saw them sitting there…like a new little family of three and I realized…” Shawn started to say. 

“Yeah?” Niall asked. 

“I want to have that with someone…I want to have that with you…” Shawn said and reached for him. 

“I’m so sorry,” Niall said and leaned into the hug. 

Shawn hugged him back tightly. “I really want this to work,” he said softly. 

“I do too,” Niall said in reply. “I’ve been thinking…I can still work, maybe just scale things back.” 

“And like back then I thought it was one thing or another…but I realize it can be both,” Shawn said. 

“We can have it all,” Niall said with a smile. 

The End


End file.
